Rams, Kroenke Seek Arbitration in Lawsuit

Thomas, Jim, St Louis Post-Dispatch (MO)

Things are starting to heat up in the St. Louis lawsuit against the Rams and the NFL over the relocation of the team to Los Angeles.

Attorneys for the defendants filed three motions Monday in St. Louis Circuit Court, the most interesting of which was a motion to have the case decided through arbitration rather than by a St. Louis jury in the courtroom of Judge Christopher McGraugh.

In theory, avoiding a jury trial might improve the Rams' and the NFL's chances of winning the case. Additionally, an arbitration process could mean the Rams and the NFL bypass the discovery process and avoid answering questions about the case.

The defendants previously filed a motion (on June 7) to stay the discovery process, a motion that has yet to be ruled on by McGraugh.

The two other motions filed Monday seek to:

* Dismiss the case for failure to state a claim.

* Dismiss certain defendants for lack of personal jurisdiction.

The latter motion seeks to dismiss all of the other NFL teams and their owners from the case besides the Rams and the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs would be included because they are based in Missouri, as the Rams were.

The city, county, and the Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority filed suit in April against the NFL and all 32 teams, seeking damages and restitution of profits. …

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